Influence of Admixture on Phenotypes

Individuals of European descent have historically been the focus of genetic studies and possess relatively homogenous genomes. As a result, analytical methods have been developed and optimized with such genomes in mind. African-descent and Latino individuals generally possess genomes of greater architectural complexity due to mosaic genomic ancestry, which can extensively and intricately impact phenotypic expression. As such, genetic analyses of admixed individuals require that genetic admixture be quantified to accurately model the impact of genetic variation on phenotypic expression. In this overview, we explore how fundamental genetic concepts such as linkage disequilibrium and differential allele frequency interact with genetic admixture to uniquely influence phenotypes in admixed individuals.